With the shared mission of merging beauty and sustainable design, Aquafil and Milliken partnered to create and debut a custom-designed green carpet that graced the step and repeat at Global Green’s 13th annual Pre-Oscar Party in Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2016.

More than 500 guests, including celebrities, eco-luminaries, environmental companies and political leadership from around the world gathered to celebrate sustainable solutions and hear the latest green messages from some of Hollywood's biggest stars.

The annual Global Green event raised not only funds for critical environmental initiatives, but also global awareness of solutions to climate change. Global Green led by example on how to live greener lifestyles by featuring everything from a sustainable green carpet, to an all-organic menu, to making the event zero-waste and having celebrities arrive in eco-friendly vehicles.

At the center of it all was the launch of the PVC-free green carpet, made from ECONYL® 100 percent regenerated nylon yarn and manufactured by Milliken. Made completely from various nylon waste materials – such as abandoned fishing nets – ECONYL® yarns breathe new life into old products that would otherwise pollute the world’s oceans and landfills.

Left image (from left):Franco Rossi, president of Aquafil USA, Joe Salley, Milliken & Company president and CEO, Susan Myers, senior vice president of the United Nations Foundation, Giulio Bonazzi, chairman and CEO of Aquafil Group, and Dan Thomas, communications director and spokesperson for the president of the United Nations General Assembly, 70th session

“Working with Milliken to create the green carpet for this high-profile event was a unique opportunity for our team,” said Giulio Bonazzi, chairman and CEO of Aquafil Group. “Sustainability is in our DNA, and we were honored to be a part of this process and to help Global Green further its mission. By working together, we collectively raise the bar of responsibility.”

Milliken’s progressive flooring products offer environmentally friendly design solutions built from unique insights and unparalleled technical capabilities. In addition to PVC-free constructions, which improve indoor air quality, Milliken floor covering in the U.S. is manufactured using 52 percent renewable energy. We’ve also sent zero process waste to landfill for more than 22 years.

Milliken’s leadership in sustainable design is furthered by our eco-minded partner, Aquafil. For every ton of fishing nets recovered, Aquafil is able to produce enough regenerated ECONYL nylon yarn for Milliken to create roughly 11,000 square feet of sustainable carpet.

“This green carpet helped us showcase a growing trend at the intersection of world-leading quality and sustainable design – a critical component to the greater environmental movement,” said Jim McCallum, president of Milliken’s global flooring division. “Our partnership with Aquafil enables us to create products that are at once beautiful, functional and sustainable, and the Pre-Oscar Party with Global Green was the perfect venue to showcase this trifecta.”

The PVC-free green carpet represented just one of the sustainable solutions at this event. As the U.S. affiliate of Green Cross International, Global Green’s signature programs include greening affordable housing, schools, neighborhoods and cities as well as rebuilding communities that have suffered from the impacts of climate change, sea level rise and environmental degradation.

Elizabeth Nettles, director of corporate engagement and special events at Global Green, commented on finding the best partners to create the green carpet: “It was important for Global Green to find the right partners for this event – partners who not only share our outlook on sustainability, but also the same values and goals. Aquafil has been at the forefront in research of new production models for sustainable development, a pillar of why Global Green exists. So it’s fitting that Aquafil and Milliken provided the sustainable green carpet that welcomed eco-minded A-listers to the 13th annual Pre-Oscar celebration.”